UNWGAD calls for release of Thulani Maseko
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) has condemned the detention of prominent human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko as arbitrary and calls on the Government of Swaziland to ensure his immediate release. The UNWGAD affirmed that Thulani Maseko’s rights to freedom of expression, liberty and to a fair trial have been violated. On 17 July […]
Kinshasa-blog ‘Twinning’ for cooperation and synergy
Nienke van Renssen – In recent days, we all have had a chance to get to know our Congolese partners. One of the goals of this project is indeed the twinning, the ‘partnership’, where we can support the lawyers in Congo in their work for a fairer system in their own country on the basis […]
Letter for Rommel Duran
On May 1, 2015 lawyer Rommel Duran tried to visit a number of clients who were arrested during protests in Bucaramanga. When he arrived at the police station, he was not allowed to visit his clients. He had to wait for hours before he saw his clients and while waiting he was insulted and physically […]
Kinshasa-blog Hearing in Prison Central
Five men behind a table in a military uniform, four men in police uniforms behind two gates, two guards with big Kalashnikovs and between them, four lawyers and a police officer. Behind them fifteen lawyers and another twenty lawyers in the room and lots of spectators on plastic chairs. Above them the text ‘Nous jugeons […]
Pu Zhiquang in prison for over 1 year, risks 8 years in prison
On 4 June, the victims who died in the violent repression of the Tiananmen square protests were commemorated in Hong Kong, China. More than a year ago, Chinese human rights lawyer and pioneer of freedom of expression Pu Zhiqiang was arrested after attending a Tiananmen protests commemoration. He has only recently heard he is charged with […]
Kinshasa-blog On the Congo River
Nienke van Renssen – Today we saw the sun set over the Congo River, a great view of a wild brown river of which the other side was almost invisible. Maître Joseph proudly explained that this river runs all the way from eastern Congo and flows through about every province of this immense country. Amazing […]
Mahienour el-Massry gets 1 year, 3 months in prison
On 31 May 2015 the Court of Appeal in Raml sentenced Ms. Mahienour El-Massry, along with nine activists, to one year and three months imprisonment on charges of, amongst others, “assaulting security forces”. She had been in preventive detention since the first appeal hearing on 11 May 2015. In February 2015 El-Massry was sentenced to […]
Kinshasa-blog Chat on the terrace
Nienke van Renssen – Our first session is over, today we have introduced ourselves with the lawyers of the Bar Association here in Kinshasa. The lawyers we will be assisting are organized in the group La Defense de la Defense (DdD). This committee was established in 2014 and aims to improve the position of lawyers […]
Azza Soliman acquitted
On 23 May 2015, lawyer Azza Soliman was acquitted by the Qasr al-Nile Court. Less than three days later, the Qasr al-Nile Prosecution appealed the acquittal. The appeal will be heard on 13 June 2015. Azza Soliman voluntarily went to the Public Prosecution’s office on 24 January 2015, to give her testimony regarding the violent […]
Kinshasa-blog DRC and the policital situation at this moment
Nienke van Renssen – If you say Congo, most people think of eastern Congo, where war has raged for years and a terrible conflict is still playing on the border with Uganda and Rwanda. Congo, the former colony of Belgium. And Zaire, which symbolized darkest Africa in the seventies, led by dictators with leopard skins. I […]
Kinshasa-blog With Lawyers for Lawyers to Kinshasa
Nienke van Renssen – Soon we will leave with seven attorneys from the Netherlands to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is an initiative of Lawyers for Lawyers Foundation (L4L) and the Justice & Peace Foundation in the context of the Connect2Protect project. The goal of this project is to have local human rights defenders […]
Call to restore confidence in judiciary
The situation of Egyptian lawyers is quickly deteriorating. Lawyers are faced with arrests, prosecution and police violence that has even led to the deaths of two lawyers, while they were being held in police custody. In their efforts to address the alarming ongoing erosion of the rule of law and people’s confidence in Egypt’s justice […]
Lawyers for Lawyers monitors hearings in Istanbul
This week Lawyers for Lawyers observed two hearings in the cases in which a large number of lawyers are being prosecuted. One of the hearings was adjourned to October 2015. Lawyers for Lawyers monitored two hearings in the trials against Turkish lawyers in Istanbul on 7 and 13 May 2015. On 7 May, the trial against […]
Situation of lawyers quickly deteriorating
The situation of Egyptian lawyers is quickly deteriorating. Lawyers are faced with arrests, prosecution and police violence that has even led to the deaths of two lawyers, while they were being held in police custody. The International Commission of Jurists has been documenting the attacks against lawyers in Egypt. Mahinour el-Massry On 11 May 2015, […]
Lawyers for Lawyers Seminar
L4L invites you to the seminar: “Lawyers are not their clients” + Presentation of the L4L-Award 2015 It is the 25th anniversary of the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers and L4L is organizing the seminar ‘Lawyers are not their clients’ in celebration of this. Lawyers from Cameroon, the Netherlands, Turkey and Colombia will […]
IBAHRI urgently calls on government to review sentencing of Intigam Aliyev
Lawyers for Lawyers fully supports the call of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) on the Government of Azerbaijan to review the sentencing of human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev. On April 22, 2015, the Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Intigam Aliyev to seven-and-a-half year imprisonment on charges of “tax evasion”, “abuse of authority”, “illegal […]